Modern Usage
The residents of Hokkaidō and Okinawa occasionally use naichi to refer to the "mainland", excluding these areas. The colloquial usage is officially "incorrect", as both areas are legally within naichi. In Hokkaidō, the official term that refers to Japan except Hokkaidō is Dōgai (lit. outside of Hokkaidō). With Dōgai becoming common even in colloquial use, naichi ceases to be used.
Read more about this topic: Mainland Japan
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